“Prisoners for the Truth's Sake”: Religious Identity and Communication Networks in the Quaker Atlantic World

Many religious communities emerged out of the instability of the English Interregnum in the 1650s.  Despite the absence of a state church in this period, radical nonconformists experienced intense persecution for their unorthodox beliefs.  Suffering thus became a central component of many groups’ identities.  Itinerant preachers often clashed with local religious and secular authorities and therefore experienced intense persecution.  Suffering proved to be a transformative experience because it allowed some people to demonstrate their commitment to their faith vigorously and thereby be revered for their service and devotion.  Prison, as the most prevalent form of suffering for itinerant ministers, facilitated some preachers being singled out because they were able to preach and convert others from jails. 

This paper examines how members of the Quaker and (more nebulous) Seeker faiths served to bolster support within their communities and persuaded others to join through communication in transatlantic letter networks.  Letters written within the Quaker network told of itinerants’ adventures, sufferers’ resilience, and successful meetings throughout the Atlantic World.  Likewise, Seeker ministers met resistance both in England and America, which fueled support for their bases both home and abroad.  Furthermore, newsletters that flourished in this period articulated the need for the faithful to stay abreast of changes in these movements and to keep distant friends interested in an ever-changing religious world.  By focusing on these groups’ emphasis on suffering, we are able to understand how those who suffered most for their faith emerged as leaders of the communities.  We can also assess why the Quakers able to survive the tumultuous Interregnum, while so many of their religious contemporaries, like the Seekers, did not.